St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-10
A New York Lunatic Tries
to Murder a Couple Of
Women,
And Then Attempts Self-Cre-
nation by Firing the
House.
He Is Only Subdued by Being
Shot Down by the
Police.
The Chicago Anarchists--A
Hanging at BALTIMORE
Criminal Notes.
Special TO the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
NEW YORK, Sept. 9.-Richard Hanley
became suddenly crazy this morning
and mace a murderouS assault with
hatchet and hammer upon his wife
Ellen and his niece Margaret Clare,
then emptied two cans of kerosene oil
on the heated stove and floor surround
ing it, locked himself in and awaited
death by fire. He was armed with
Ratchet and threated death to all who
attempted to approach him. He
did not surrender until two
bullets from the revolver of
Acting Police Captain Sheehan had
hit him. The fire was then extinguished
and the maniac secured. The scene of
this mad mans violence is large double
house at No. POI East Eighty-sixth
street. The excitement in the building
and on the street was most intense.
Terror-Stricken women and children
rushed from the house screaming
Murder, help, fire." Hanley, strong
framed man of about forty-five, has
been i'll for several months, and fire.
quently complained of pains in his
head. For few weeks he
had acted strangely. Mrs. Han
ley reSOrted to common remedies
and endeavOred to quiet her husband,
and threatening. About 1870 o'clock
this morning, when Mrs. Hanley and
half-grown girl, Margaret Clare, were
seated in the kitchen, Hanley suddenly
put his hands to his head, Swayed to
and fro on his chair, groaning with pain,
and then, with wild expression in his
eyes, sprang to his feet, and seizing
hammer sprang at his niece. She ran
and had almost escaped through the
door leading to the hallway, when he
flung the hammer at her with great
force. She lodged, and fortunately was
only hit by the handle which made
A PAINFUL SCALP WOUND,
but did not knock her down. Hanley
seemed to become even more Infatuated
at the escape of the girl and turned
upon his wife. She pleaded with him
not to kill her, but he only laughed and
repossessing himself of the hammer he
flung it at the frightened woman, but
his aim was not true, however, and the
missile fell to the floor and broke.
The maniac then seized Ratchet
and rushed after his wife.
Her screams for help were
heard throughout the house, but
No one responded in time. and her crazy
husband buried the point of the Ratchet
in her skull. Wrenching herself free,
Mrs. Hanley reached the hall, her head
and face crimsoned with blood, and was
aided by Mrs. Butt. neighbor, to es-
cape to the street. A panic seized the
inmates of the big tenement, they jOSt-
ling each other on the stairs in their
wild efforts to reach the street. Han
ley'S next insane impulse was to
destroy himself and the building.
To accomplish this he made
his preparations deliberately. Empty
ing an Oil can upon the floor, he cody
applied a match to the inflamable fluid,
menacing with his bloOd-stained
Then locking the doors of his apart
ments he calmly awaited death. Mean
while the police had been summoned
and Acting Captain Sheehan and Officers
Doyle and, Angelina. of the
Twenty-SecOnd precinct, arrived
before the fire had spread. Aided by
John Butt and Ira d. Clough, tenants
of the fiat they had fastened to subdue
and arrest the lunatic. Their ingress
was barred by locked and bolted doors,
and to the demand for instant admission
there came back derisive laugh and
A DEFIANT THREAT
that the first man who entered should
die. Four strong men put their Shout
ders to the outer door ald burst it from
its hinges. The kitchen floor was
ablaZe, and dense smoke filed
the room, but Hanley was not
there. He had retreated to the adjoin-
ing room, where he stood brandiShing
the Ratchet. A fire alarm was sent out,
but before the engines arrived the police
had eXtinguished the flames and were
directing their attention to the lunatic.
who had during the interval fastened
the door between the kitchen and the
room in which he stood at bay.
He refused to open the door.
and in a few seconds a quintet
of able-bodied men had sent it
spinning from its fastenings only to be
confronted by the wild man, armed for
murder. Officer Doyle at once rushed
upon Hanley in the hope of overpower-
ing him, but a whlZZing stroke of the
sharp hatchett, which barely grazed his
head, forced him to retire. After re-
peated demands for surrender met by
wild laughter and challenges to single
combat, Acting Captain Sheellau
drew d his revolver and opened
offensive and advanced towards his
would-be capters, when bullet struck
him on the top of the head, ploughing
furrow along his scalp. More infuriated
than ever at the singing pain and the
sight of blood, he made wild dash at
the officers, but suddenly the Ratchet
fell to the floor and, Selling his right
hand, he
SCREAMED IN AGONY
as the policeman seized and held him
firmly. Another of the many bullets
fired by Sheehan had struck Hanley i'm
the wrist and passed down and through
the right hand, rendering him power
less. During the fusilade one of the
fireman whose services were not re-
= quired in extinguishing the fire, sent
out an ambulance call, which was re-
sponded to promptly by Surgeon Bedell,
of the Presbyterian hospital. He found
that Margarst Clare's injury was slight
and that Mrs. Hanley's hurt was not
serious either, as the hatchet blow
fortunately did not fracture the
skull. Mrs. Hanfey's wounds were
dressed at the hospital, after which she
was taken home. Hanley was taken to
the police station after having his
wounds partially dressed, but later Sur
geon Bedell removed him to tie Presby-
terrain hospital, where he is confined as
prisoner. The surgeon said that the
wound in Hanley'S wrist was a severe
one and may possibly cripple him for
life. He is satisfied that Hanley is
crazy and he will be watched closely
and possibly will be removed to the Pa
Wilton for the insane.
THE CHICAGO ANARCHISTS.